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About Me
I am a physician and behavioral scientist. My research and writing explore the quirks in human nature that influence our lives -- the mixture of rational and irrational forces that affect our health, our happiness, and the way our society functions. (more...)- Have a question or just want to get in touch? Email me at peter.ubel@duke.edu
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Tag Archives: doctor-patient communication
Are You Getting Too Much Medical Care?
This summer I had the pleasure of speaking with a very intelligent journalist, who was working on an article about overtreatment in medical care. That article has just come out, and I thought I would give you a sample of … Continue reading
Posted in Medical Decision Making
Tagged doctor-patient communication, medical decision making
Why Discussing the Cost of an MRI to Evaluate Knee Pain Can Be a Total Pain
I want to share a wonderful blog post with you, written by one of “my” students, Laura Mortimer – a student in the Masters in Public Policy program at the Sanford School at Duke, who also happens to be a talented … Continue reading
Posted in Medical Decision Making
Tagged doctor-patient communication, healthcare costs
Newsweek Tackles the Challenge of Money Talk
In response to the New England Journal article I published with Yousuf Zafar and Amy Abernethy, Newsweek chimed in this week with a report on the topic, including some thoughtful commentary from other medical experts. I thought it was worth … Continue reading
Posted in Medical Decision Making
Tagged doctor-patient communication, healthcare costs
Doctor, First Tell Me What It Costs
If an antibiotic would cure your infection, your doctor would probably still warn you about the chance of sun sensitivity before prescribing the pill. But even when the costs of a medical intervention might force patients to choose between paying the bill … Continue reading
Can Comics Improve Medical Care?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTRvoQGBs0Y”
Take a look at this wonderful video where a physician and a nurse explain how comic books, what they called “graphic medicine”, can improve medical care. You might also want to check out the website of the graphic medicine collaborative they have … Continue reading
Posted in Miscellaneous
Tagged doctor-patient communication, ethics
Toxic Side Effect: High Out-of-Pocket Health Care Costs
When is the treatment worse than the disease? When the high costs associated with care become a financial burden for patients and in many cases prevent them from protecting their health, contends Peter Ubel, MD, a 2007 recipient of a … Continue reading
Doctors Urged to Talk About Costs of Treatment
Physicians need to broach discussions about out-of-pocket costs with patients the same way they discuss a treatment’s side effects, public policy professors wrote. “Admittedly, out-of-pocket costs are difficult to predict, but so are many medical outcomes that are nevertheless included … Continue reading
Full Disclosure: Out-of-Pocket Costs As Treatment Side Effects
Here is a link to an article I co-authored in the New England Journal this week, with Yousuf Zafar and Amy Abernethy. In the article, we urge physicians to talk about out-of-pocket costs with patients, given that these costs can … Continue reading
The Critical Side Effect Doctors Aren’t Discussing: Out-of-Pocket Costs
http://youtu.be/FnfunsuL5vw
In this video, I talk about why doctors should talk to patients about out-of-pocket costs when evaluating treatment options. Bookmark on Delicious Digg this post Recommend on Facebook Buzz it up share via Reddit Share with Stumblers Tweet about it … Continue reading
Posted in Medical Decision Making
Tagged doctor-patient communication, healthcare costs
Does Larry Summers Have the Social Intelligence to Be Federal Reserve Chair?
I know, I know: I usually write about health and healthcare; why should anyone care about my opinion on whether Larry Summers should be Federal Reserve Chair? As it turns out, my work on doctor/patient communication has given me insight … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged doctor-patient communication